Fluid heater



4 Jan. 28, 1930. G. J. HEIMBERGER FLUID HEATER 4 Filed sept. '27, 1927 43 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR /f' ATTORNEYS Jan. 28, 1930.

G. J. HEIMBERGER FLUID HEATER Filed Sept. 27, 1927 v3 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR @MQ f vv? ATTORNEYS l Jan. 28, 17930. G. J. HEIMBERGER1,745,093

FLUID HEATER Filed sept. 2v, 1927 s sheetssneet 3 C f/ATTORNEYS www Q 2CIL Patented Jan. 28, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE J.HEIMBERGER, OF BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE BA'BCOCK &

WILCOX COMPANY, OF BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEYFLUID HEATER Application filed September 27, 1927.

heater in reversed position; that is to say, the

air heater has been rotated about a horizontal axis, and the upper endof the air heater in Fig. 1 is the lower end of Fig. 4 and vice versa 5Fig. 5 is partially a plan View and partially a section taken on theplane of the line 5-5 of Fig. 6, and Fig. 6 is a sectional View,

the left-hand portion of which is taken alongv the plane of the line 6-6of Fig. 1, and the right-hand portion of which is taken on a verticalsection through the air heater of Fig. 1.

Like reference characters indicate like parts in the various views.

In the drawings, 10 indicates a flue in which the fluid heater, hereillustrated as an air heater, is located, the side walls of the Huebeing indicated at11 and 12, (the end walls not being illustrated in thedrawings). The heater illustrated comprises tubes 13 which are straightthroughout the major portion of their length and extend parallel to theflue, as :indicated in Fig. 1. The upper and lower ends of the tubes arereceived in openings in lower and upper parallel plates or tube sheets14 and 15, respectively, which extend at an angle to the straightportion of the tube and preferably at substantially o thereto and to theHue. It will, of course, be understood that the tube sheets may beformed of a single piece or of a plurality of pieces which are suitablysecured together as by rivets or welding.

Preferably, the tubes are bent at their upper and lower ends, as at 16and 17, so that they enter the tube sheets at substantially right anglesthereto. Preferably, the tubes of one row are staggered with respect tothe Serial No. 222,277.

tubes of an adjacent row, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the tubespreferably being stagu gered throughout both their straight and bentportions. The tubes are secured to one of the tube sheets and hereillustrated as the upper tube sheet in Fig. 1 which illustrates theposition of the air heater as originally installed. The tubes may besecured at their upper ends by expanding them into the openings of theupper tube sheet, the lower ends of the tubes being unexpanded or atleast only lightly expanded so that they are slidable in the lower tubesheet 14.

The inlet for the hot gases is indicated at 18, from which they flowupwardly through the tubes of the air heater and leave the air heaterthrough the outlet flue 19. The air, in the embodiment illustrated,enters the heater through the inlet ue 2O and flows across anddownwardly along the tubes of the air heater and leaves the heater atthe outlet flue 21.

The air heater is supported by suitable members, here illustrated asI-beams 22, spac-y ing and tension members 23 and 24 being provided forthe tube sheets at the sides of the air heater, the ends of which engagethe upper tube sheet and the lower tube sheet. respectively. Preferablv,one of the walls .191 of the outlet flu'e (see Fig. 2) is disposedbetween the upper tube sheet 15 and the flange of the associated I-bea1n22, while a portion 181 of the walls of the inlet iue 18 is locatedbelow the lower tube sheet 14 and the spacing members or bars 23 and 24.Preferably, the upper end of the spacing bar 23 is cut away at onecorner, as at 2 5, (see Fig. 2) to engage a horizontal portion of thetube sheet 15 and the end of the wall 191 of the Hue, while the lowerend thereof is formed with an angle, as at 26, to engage not only thehori zontal portion of the tube sheet 14, but to engage also an inclinedportion thereof.

The spacing bars 23 and 24 are clamped both to the upper tube sheet 15and the lower tube sheet 14 by U-bolts 29 which are preferably arrangedat an angle tothe vertical, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and so arranged asto retain the member 23 and the tube sheets in fixed relation. The upperU-bolts 29 preferably pass through openings in the spacing bars 23 andthrough the tube sheet 15, the Wall 191 of the outlet fiue and a flangeof the I-beam 22, while the lower U-bolt passes through the lower wall181 of the inlet flue and the lower tube sheet 14. By inclining theU-bolts 29, in the manner best illustrated in Fig. 2, the spacing member23 is held in fixed relation to the tube sheets 14 and 15. By incliningthe upper bolt 29 in the manner illustrated. there is not only avertical component but a horizontal component which tends to force thespacing plate vertically against the tube sheet 15, and to torce ithorizontally to the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, against the end of thetube sheet. Similarly, by inclining the lower U-bolt 29, the inclinedlower end ot' the plate 23 is forced against an inclined portion of thetube sheet 14, thereby maintaining the tube sheets and the spacingplatesin fixed relation. Similarly, the U-bolts at the right of the air heatermaintain a fixed relation between the plate 24 and the tube sheets.

Preferably, panel plates 28 are placed in front of the insulatin layersor panels 27.

In operation, the tu es of an air heater are subjected to expansion andcontraction, particularly when they are washed as by steam or water, andthe lower ends of the tubes in an air heater as originally installed andas illustrated in Fig. 1 are free to slide through the openings inthelower tube sheet 14. AIn asmuch as the spacing members 23 and 24 arenot subjected to the conditions which bring about a variation oftemperature in the tubes,-

the tube sheets 14 and 15 are, in practice, maintained in substantiallyfixed spaced relation.

Preferably, the upper and lower tube sheets 14 and 15 are of the sameform and sizeand are arranged in parallel relation. In operation, theoutlet ends or the cold ends of the tubes of an air heater are generallymore quickly corroded than the entering end or the hot end of the tubes.This condition is brou fht about by the fact that products carried y thegases, such as acid fumes, are condensed in the cold end, whereas thetempera-- ture at the hot end of the tube is sufficiently hi h toprevent such condensation.

ow,.when the upper ends of the tubes of the air heater become corroded,it may be reversed by turning it about the horizontal transverse axis.This is preferably accomplished by removing the nuts from the U- )oltsat the lower end of the air heater, removing the forward and rearcasing, and then removing the nuts of the U-bolts at the upper end oftheair hea-ter. The air heater may then be reversed by turning it aboutthehorizontal transverse axis and replacing the U- bolts and their nutstogether with the sides ont' the casing. Whatwas originally the uppertube sheet 15 is now the lower, and the lower ends of the tubes aresecured in this tube sheet, as illustrated in Fig. 4, while the upperiff-lanas ends thereof are free to slide in the openings in the uppertube sheet 14.

By the provision of the spacing bars between the tube sheets and themeans 'for securing them thereto, the air heater may be reversed as aunit without interfering with the permanent structure surrounding theair heater. IVhen the parts are in the position illustrated in Figjl,the spacing bars 23 serve merely as spacing members, and support thelower tube sheet only. Then, when the air heater is reversed, andoccupies the position illustrated in Fig. 4, the spacing bars 23 serveas tension members to support not only the lower tube sheet in which thetubes are expanded hard, but also support the tube heating surface otthe air heater. At the same time, by expanding the tubes hard in one ofthe tube sheets, and giving them a sliding lit in the other tube sheet,the tubes are individually iree to expand and contract, as they arecalled upon to do under washing operations, and without distortion orinjury to the air heater itself.

Vhile I have illustrated one embodiment ot my invention, it will beunderstood that various modifications could be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention or exceeding the scope of theclaims. For example, while I have illustrated the ends of the spacingmembers as being secured to the tube sheets by U-bolts, it will beunderstood that the ends of these spacing members could be welded orotherwise secured to the tube sheets in order to maintain them in fixedspaced relation.

It will be apparent that the life of an air heater may, in accordancewith my invention be greatly increased as compared with the ordinary airheater which cannot be reversed in position.

I claim 1. In a fluid heater, fixed members, tube sheets each providedwith a plurality of tube openings, tubes secured at one end in theopenings in one of said tube sheets and at their other ends slidablyreceived in the openings of the other tube sheet, spacing bars extendingbetween the tube sheets and arranged longitudinally of the air heater,one end of one of said spacing bars being cut away to receive the end ofa tube sheet andthe other en d thereof being inclined to engage aninclined portion of the opposite tube sheet, and U-bolts passin throughsaid bars and said tubesheets and--arranged at an angle to thelongitudinal axis oi said bars, and so arranged as to clamp the ends ofthe spacing bars into engagement both vertically and horizontally withthe associated tube sheets.

2. In an air heater, similar parallel tube sheets of substantially thesame shape and size each provided with openings, tubes secured at oneend in the openings of one tube sheet and slidably received in theopenings of the other tube sheet, spacing bars extending between andattached to said tube sheets, a fixed member independent of said spacingbars, and means for supporting said bars from said fixed member.

3. In an air heater, similar parallel tube sheets of substantially thesame shape and size each provided with openings, tubes secured at theirupper ends in the openings of the upper tube sheet and slidably receivedin the openings of the lower tube sheet, spacing barsextending betweenand attached to said tube sheets, a fixed member independent of saidspacing bars, and means for supporting said bars from said fixed member.

4f. In an air heater, similar parallel tube sheets of substantially thesame shape and size each provided with openings and inclined to thehorizontal, tubes substantially vertical throughout the maj or portionof their lengths and bent at their ends to enter the openings of saidtube sheets at substantially right angles thereto, the tubes beingsecured in the openings of one tube sheet and slidable in the openingsof the other tube sheet, spacing bars extending between and attached tosaid tube sheets, a fixed member independent of said spacingbars, andmeans for supporting said bars from said fixed member.

5. In an air heater, similar parallel tube sheets of substantially thesame shape and size each provided with openings, tubes secured at oneend in the openings of one tube sheet and slidably received in theopenings of the other tube sheet, spacing bars extending between andattached to said tube sheets, a fixed member independent of said spacingbars, and means for supporting;` said bars from said fixed member, thetubes being subjected to greater corrosive action at one end than at theother.

6. In combination, an air heater, a casing forming a flue in which saidair heater is located, similar parallel tube sheets of substantially thesame shape and size each provided with openings, tubes secured at oneend in the openings of one tube sheet and loosely received in theopenings of the other tube sheet, spacing bars extending between andattached to said tube sheets, a fixed member independent of said spacingbars, and means for supporting said bars `from said lixed member.

GEORGE J. HEIMBERGER.

